


1096 Roses

by MySoCalledAngst



Category: Code Black
Genre: F/M, Marriage, im not crying there is something in both my eyes, proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-22
Updated: 2016-02-22
Packaged: 2018-05-22 13:06:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6080502
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MySoCalledAngst/pseuds/MySoCalledAngst
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Doctor Neal Hudson started as an unexpressive man. Christa Lorenson, without even trying, managed to change it all. </p><p>It was time to prove to her just how much good she had done.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1096 Roses

**Author's Note:**

> I love Christeal so much. 
> 
> Thanks to evaclaremarie for putting this prompt in my head and sending me in an emotional tailspin.

10:30pm

"So, three years of babysitting. Which one of them are you going to hire?" Neal asked, sitting in a plush chair across from Leanne. She looked up, peeling the glasses off her face with her classic smile smeared across her lips. 

"The board wanted me to choose two, but I think I've convinced them to keep all those little scallions." Leanne closed the folder in front of her. No, over the course of the past three years, the small yet promising group of residents have done nothing but prove themselves time and time again. They were all worthy to work in hers, and Momma's, house. 

"I suppose Christa is at the top of the list?" Neal asked, donning his own charming smile. For a moment, Leanne pursed her lips, giving a disapproving look that made his heart lurch. 

"Only if she says yes," she laughed ", I never thought you'd do something like this. The elaborate proposal doesn't seem very British of you." She teased. 

"Christa has turned me into a very un-British man." He replied, a hand dipping into his pocket. He found his prize, setting the black velvet box in front of his dearest friend. 

Leanne immediately grabbed it and popped the top. She would be the first and last person to see the ring before he got down on one knee. Popping the top up, she gasped. A gorgeous white gold ring and a blinding princess cut rock sat on top. Even in the yellow-tinted lights of the hospital, it glittered with beauty and grace only befitting of the relationship he had built with Christa Lorsenson. 

Leanne's jaw threatened to hit the floor, her eyebrows shooting up her face; it had cost him far more than the standard three months pay that most men follow. Figuring she was impressed, Neal spoke.

"She won't be able to wear it at work, so I needed something that was twice as attention grabbing for when she does." Neal played it cool, but there was tone to his voice. Yeah, he knew he did good. 

"Shes going to lose her mind when she sees this thing. You sure you want to do this here?" Leanne choked out, still in shock from the ring he had selected specially for his Doctor in crime. 

"Christa once said that Angel's was where we started writing our book. Where else would be a better place to start a new chapter?" Neal said with a smile. 

"Jesus... you're right, she turned you very un-British. Okay, I'll check with Jesse to make sure he's ready to go. Page me when you feel like it's time." Leanne stood, giving Neal one of her special bear hugs; the ones she usually reserved for Jesse. 

11:00pm

The shift was just getting started, as all the familiar faces seemed to file in one after another. Christa was still at home, likely getting ready for another night shift at Angel's. Leanne made sure to give her a shorter shift, just this once. She had already prepared to let the couple go home after he finally popped the question; having used some of her old connections to get a couple bodies to fill their place for the night. 

Neal looked through the crowd for Grace, hoping to catch her early before Christa got there. As if she could read his mind, Grace slunk up beside him, a huge grin on her face. 

"So. Tonight's the night. Nervous? Scared? Thrilled?" Grace clapped her hands. 

"All of the above." He huffed, but still with a smile on his face. 

Grace and Christa's issues had came to a head over two years ago, during a power outage that rendered them helpless in an elevator. It was not the big blow out either of them had been expecting. It was a simple resignation. Grace had admitted to wanting Neal back in her first weeks home, but after seeing them together, how Christa and Neal seemed to dance around each other in centre stage... Grace admitted she felt awful for feeling the way she felt. 

Christa, of course, knew there was blame to share. She hadn't been the most inviting person in the hospital, and for a brief time, even turned tender hearted Malaya against Grace in a fit of anger. 

Once all the bullshit was out on the table, they shared a moment of peace via common ground; Neal's unbelievable snoring. 

Since then, Christa and Grace would never say they were friends. But they definitely got along. And Grace was more than happy to be apart of the elaborate plan. 

"I bet. I love me a good proposal though, especially when it's a guaranteed yes. So, I'll hang close to Christa tonight. When Dr. Rorish makes the page, I'll find her and make sure she's one of the first in centre stage." Grace recounted, smiling once again when Neal gave her a thumbs up. After a high five, they split off, ready to do the more mundane parts of their night. 

12:00am

Christa walked into Angel's, feeling just as at home here as she was at the house she shared with Neal. She was already in her scrubs, making a B line to the lockers. Neal made sure he was in the hallway to meet her with a tame kiss. Neal could tell by the way she was so relaxed to be in his arms that she didn't suspect a thing. 

"I missed you after you left." She pouted, but only for a moment, before offering him that beautiful smile. 

"I missed you too. I didn't want to wake you before I left, you looked so gorgeous." Neal expressed; a trait Christa had easily drawn out of him. 

"Mmm, well I would've liked it if you did... I thought we could have some fun." She whispered, giving him another quick kiss before heading into the locker rooms, leaving Neal dazzled by her insatiable nature. Just one more reason he fell in love with her. 

The night continued on as a typical night does. By some grace of God, tonight was one of the nights that a code black wasn't reasonably going to happen. Neal took it as the final nail in the coffin of being just the boyfriend. There was no reason for him to get scared because it was all falling into place. 

3:00am

"Dr. Rorish, we should discuss the-" Cindy, the newest nurse, finally worked up the nerve to ask for a possible garden out front, to boost moral. But the doctor put her finger up, glancing down at the pager vibrating on her side. 

911

Leanne smiled, walking around the nurses station and picked up the intercom receiver. 

"Dr. Lorsenson to centre stage. Dr. Lorenson to centre stage." She did her best to put on a tight voice, but something about her little Neal proposing to what was clearly the love of his life... she couldn't stop grinning. Placing the mic down, she headed straight for centre stage, giving a nod to Jesse and Mario as they wheeled an in-use gurney directly under the main light. 

3:01am

Christa heard the page just as she was finishing her cup of coffee. With her last swig, she crushed the plastic cup and went to head out the door. Grace beat her to the punch, busting in from the other side, a panicked expression painted on her face. 

"Christa, oh god, you gotta hurry!" Grace grabbed Christa's wrist, making sure she kept up as they ran to centre stage. By the time they rounded the corner, the entire team she'd come to know and love was bustling around in centre stage. 

With her stethoscope already in her ears, she approached the bed.

"What happened and what are the injuries?" She barked, like a true doctor, weening through the small space the group of doctors provided to her. When she looked at the gurney, something was off. 

The person on the bed was already covered in a sheet. Her brow furrowed... could she have missed it? It couldn't have taken her so long to get there. The sheet was stained with red, but not a blood red. But... if it's not blood...

It occurred to her that centre stage was silent. In her entire three years at Angel's, centre stage had never been quiet. All of her peers and friends stood around her, silent, with neutral expressions on their face. There was only one missing face in the crowd... Neal. 

For a moment, her heart fell short. No, Neal couldn't be under the sheet. That person wasn't big enough in the shoulders, or tall enough. 

Christa grew confused, but kept her worst fears on the inside. Deciding to rip the bandaid off, she gripped the sheet and tossed it aside. 

A heap of strategically set roses met her nose first, then her eyes. It was unbelievable how many red roses were on the table. 

"One thousand, ninety six." A voice laced with British blood spoke from behind her. Adjacent from the bed, standing at the end of the isle as made by the Angel's staff, was Neal. 

"Pardon?" Christa asked, her heart still leaping out of her chest. She was confused and curious. She was smiling, but she couldn't get her mind to focus. 

"One thousand, ninety six roses. A rose for everyday I have known you. Nine hundred, ninety one roses for everyday we've been together. A rose for everyday my life has felt brighter, better, and more fulfilling." Neal's voice shook, but he knew it was okay. There was nothing wrong with being nervous. 

Christa's jaw went slack, walking down the side of the bed to the foot, standing just a few feet away from her lover. Dear god this is happening. 

"When I met you, I didn't feel my heart beat faster, my knees didn't quake, and my hands didn't shake. Instead, I felt a sense of calm. There was no anxiety or fear. And I knew that I would wait as long as I had to for us to come together through all we have been through."

"Oh, my god." Christa huffed, taking another step towards Neal. Their eyes never left each other's. 

"You, Christa Lorenson, are my soul mate." 

It happened in one swift, smooth motion. Neal took the little black box out of his pocket and knelt down on one knee. Opening the box, he relished in her expression. As her eyes fell upon the large diamond, she gasped, taking a step back; not out of fear, but shock. She had never been one for materialistic things, but this was something else. 

"Doctor Christa Lorenson, will you marry me?" Neal felt his chest tighten. Christa was going to say yes, and he knew it, but there was still hesitation. He had never done this before. She had already been there and done that. 

"Yes. Yes, yes please." Christa practically shouted, unable to contain her emotions as he placed the ring on her finger. 

The kiss they shared burned through them, setting the couple ablaze with love. The entire Angel's staff applauded the couple they had watched grow over the past three years.

"How confusing will it be? Two Dr. Hudson's walking these halls?" She whispered into his ear, giving his love a kiss. 

5:00am

The display of love was enough to bring Leanne to tears. She sent them home after everyone had finished congratulating them, but not before giving them both a big hug. 

Neal and Christa had taken to their bed, and through constant strings of jokes such as Dr. Hudson squared, they managed to express their love in the most intimate way. After her new fiancée cooked breakfast, she brought her son's little truck out to the table, wanting to have it close as she moved into a new chapter of her life. 

While he played, he watched her roll the little truck back and forth. For the first time in years, she actually felt happiness when touching her moments of her beloved son. She brought it up to her lips and give it a little kiss. 

Neal placed her breakfast in front of her. 

He kissed her cheek, then gently took her hand, giving the little truck a small peck of his own. 

Christa had always known Neal was the one. But that really sealed the deal.


End file.
